Promoter Of Event At Oakland Warehouse Mourns Victims

Jon Hrabko had been promoting the party for weeks on Facebook as an “insane lineup” of electronic dance music performers. Hrabko was promoting the event publicly even as city officials began investigating complaints on Nov. 13 about blight and unapproved construction inside the converted warehouse known to artists and musicians as the Ghost Ship. [...] authorities never got inside the building, which they said had a permit to operate only as a warehouse, and it’s unclear what Hrabko knew about conditions there or complaints. What is clear is that excitement for the electronic dance music party was building on social media. On Saturday, he spent several hours at the Eli’s Mile High Club with members of the city’s tight-knit music community as everyone waited for word about the missing. At Eli’s, Hrabko spoke to a Chronicle reporter and confirmed he was a party organizer but refused to give his surname, identifying himself only as Jon. [...] the Facebook page for the event itself became an online memorial for the dozens of people killed when fire swept through the building. Authorities said the process of identifying the remains and notifying families would take time, and they released only several names Sunday. Hrabko describes himself on LinkedIn as a self-employed independent fine art professional with a degree in electronic music from UC Santa Cruz. Six of the hosts were among those who were missing after the fire and listed on the event memorial page.